Charles l



wwf/4 tait@ taten atat @High CHARLES L. ALEXANDER, OF WASHINGTON ,v DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Letters Patent No. 64,269, dated April, 30, 1867.

'IMPROVEMENT 1N PRINTERS TYPE-crises.

TO ,ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. ALEXANDER, of. Wlashington, in' theA county of Washington, and District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Type-Cases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a pair of ordinary cases in position upon their stand.

Figure 2 is an end view of a pair of my improved cases in position upon their stand.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of an upper case constructed according to my plan.

`The present invention consists in changing the angle of all the horizontal partitions of each case, in relation to the bottom thereof, from a right angle to the plane of the bottom, to an -acutc angle thereto, the inclination being toward the farther or upper end of the case, the degree of inclination being determinable by the particular kind or size and use of the type to be laid in such case, the larger sizes of types, and those iu comparatively little use, not so much requiring this improvement, which, it will be observed, is more especially designed for and adapted to usc where rapid execution With'small types is the essential requisite.

The lower and upper cases, marked afb, in iig. 1, are made according to the oldA plan, and so level as to require the compositor to lean forward at his work, and to extend his right arm forward for each type, it being difficult for the left hand to follow with the composing-stick. A These cases are not always placed at this precise angle; but when the higher sides are more elevated inconvenience arises `frorn the tendency of the types to overow the front sides of the boxes. In fig. 2 the lower and upper cases, marked c nl, are set in position as they may .he when constructed according to my plan, which is partially indicated by the bevelled edges of the cases, more fully shown in iig. 3, iu which the upper case d is assumed to be cut away, so as to give an inside view thereof, the spaces e e e e c e e, reprcseting the type-boxes, and the lines ,z' z' z' z' z' i the inclined divisions between them. It is obvious, also, that the transverse partitions may be made adjustable in their inclination by being provided with grooves to slide in, or a rocking movement, or other simple device. This construction of case, so far from being objectionable on account of its V-shaped bottom, derives advantage therefrom, as when the boxesl are nearly empty, the types lie close together in the front angle, to which they tend in'the desired horizontal position more certainly than in the ordinary cases. The boxes, however, are seldom wholly emptied. Both in distributing and in setting, the same area presents itself as in the old cases.l An important advantage consists in the nearer approach of all parts of the cases and the copy7 thereon to a focus of vision; a benefit appreciable toV many who depend upon the natural power of vision, but of still greater importance to' compositors who wear glasses, and who are hence obliged, under the present arrangement, to draw backward and to lean forward to adapt their sight to the `various distances-of the objects they must see. The superiority of this form ef box, at whatever inclination the case is to be disposed, is as obvious as would be the disadvantage of sloping the transverse partitionsin the opposite direction; and both may be illustrated by a simple experiment with beads, or shot, or pins, within av shallow paper box, held iu-a slanting position, inA which experiment the necessity of pressing the lower side or lange upward will be found to increase or diminish just as the incli: nation of the box is increased or diminished. 1 Y

l do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to cases of any particular material, form, or mode of construction, for it is of universal application to typeeases It is therefore not necessary, in` order to a proper understanding of the subject, that Ishould describe any mode of manufacture, any and all'modes known in the arts being optional for the purpose. Nor isit requisite that the parts of mechanismA so simple and familiar should be -described or designated with any further minuteness; the setting the transverse or horizontal partition pieces at an inclination, instead of perpendicular, to the bottom of the case being the only change proposed from the old mode of construction. n t is obvious that the bottom front angle of each box may be rounded in gutter-form, or the reverse thereof, that is, rendered convex, without deviating from the principleof this invention. l A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, 1s

A type-case, having thej lower or front sides of the boxes inclined toward the upper or rear part 'of the casa substantially as described.

OHAS. L. ALEXANDER.

Witnesses:

JAnEs LAURNsoN, R. S. LAURENsoN. 

